CASES of stroke have become increasingly common. Stressful lifestyles, lack of exercise and diets have been blamed. Is this justified?
Last year, a journal reported that among the 192 World Health Organisation member countries, deaths from stroke exceeded those attributed to heart disease in 74 of them.
Disability arising from stroke also exceeded heart disease fatalities in 62 countries accounting for 32 per cent of member nations. It was, however, reported that stroke was higher in Asia, Africa and South America, whereas heart disease was higher in the Middle East, North America, Australia and much of Europe.
Malaysia is among countries in Asia which have been reporting a rising incidence of stroke cases. The situation has reached worrying levels. The cost to the country is enormous. Can neuroscience help? But what is neuroscience?
Neuroscience refers to the science involving the central and peripheral nervous system. This mainly concerns the brain and spinal cord plus the outlying nerves of the body. If in the past neuroscience was just an offshoot of the medical discipline, nowadays this is no longer true.
As technology improves over the last 20 years, the subject has evolved into a transdisciplinary sciences from its classical multidisciplinary roots.
Neuroscience now incorporates elements of computer science, physics, mathematics, chemistry and even music and economics.
Recent years have seen rising interest in neuroscience. This is especially so in the more developed nations where many have realised the importance of research in neuroscience as a way to look for answers as to how to prevent, treat or rehabilitate stroke patients.
So much so that, among medical practitioners, neuroscience has been hailed as the fifth revolution in science after astronomy, evolution, psychology and the discovery of the DNA.
The unprecedented scientific advances over the last decade have led to the widespread view that the world is on the verge of a neuroscience revolution. And this will dominate scientific endeavours in the next two centuries.
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Neuroscience's key role in stroke care
